


a cat may look at a king

by plingo_kat



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Cats, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-02
Updated: 2017-01-02
Packaged: 2018-09-14 03:21:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,161
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9157942
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/plingo_kat/pseuds/plingo_kat
Summary: “Your Highness.” Ignis sounds endlessly long-suffering. “Your Highness, please get up.”“Mew,” says the black cat curled up on top of Noctis’ pillow.





	

**Author's Note:**

> For the [prompt](https://ffxv-kinkmeme.dreamwidth.org/841.html?thread=108617#cmt108617) on the ffxv kmeme: "Either Noctis is a werecat or he gets hit with a transformation spell that lasts even after the battle's over, I just want Noctis as a kitten pouncing on pieces of string or clawing at Ignis' ankles and causing general mayhem."

“Your Highness.” Ignis sounds endlessly long-suffering. “Your Highness, please get up.”

“Mew,” says the black cat curled up on top of Noctis’ pillow. It rolls over onto its side and stretches out, sneezes, then contracts into a ball again.

“Just pick him up,” Gladio says from where he’s packing away their camping supplies.

“If you’d like to get shredded by his claws, you do it,” Ignis says, and turns away. Maybe he can lure Noctis into the car with some leftover food.

When he turns around again, the cat is gone. A jolt of cold spears through his chest, much like what he imagines a heart attack would feel like, and he inhales deeply in an attempt to keep calm. “Gladio, Prompto, have you seen—“

Prompto has something black draped over his shoulder. Ignis can _feel_ his blood pressure drop, so much he goes a little lightheaded.

“ _Your Highness_ –”

Gladio drops a hand onto his shoulder, squeezing firmly until Ignis relaxes into something that doesn’t feel like steel and rebar. Ignis sighs.

“Never mind. Are we ready to set out?”

“Yep.” Prompto finishes throwing his gear into the trunk and joins them, one arm curled close to his chest to support Noctis’ back legs. The cat has his eyes slitted open, and when they catch the light they’re a startlingly clear blue. “You want him, Gladio?”

Gladio shakes his head. “Just throw him in the back seat, will you?”

None of them are sure how much intelligence Noctis has retained within his new form. When he first woke up back at camp, he dug through their sparse baggage until he found one of Ignis’ dirty cotton button-downs, and proceeded to drag it into the Regalia’s back seat to form a kind of nest. Any attempt to reclaim it has resulted in a flurry of hisses and scratches.

Prompto waits until Gladio is buckled in before he dumps Noctis gently into his shirt-nest. Noctis immediately begins to knead the cloth, purring, as the two other humans slide into their own seats.

“So what are we going to do?” Prompto fidgets a little, tapping his fingers against the car door. “Stay in Lestallum until Noct changes back?”

“Iris would love that,” Gladio says. A note of glee runs through his tone under the worry. “I say we go for it. It’s probably safest to have an actual house to keep him in.”

“I’ve no objections,” Ignis says, pushing his glasses up, and that’s that.

 

They make it to Lestallum before lunch with a single pit stop for snacks and the bathroom. Noctis slept most of the time, just like when he was a human, although there was a brief stretch where he got up and wandered around the car. Prompto warded the driver seat area with his arms, gently shooing Noctis away when he drifted toward the driver’s footwell, and eventually Noctis seemed to get bored. He sat primly on the console assembly and looked out the windshield.

“Oh my gods, he’s so cute!” Iris holds out her hand for Noctis to sniff, then brushes her hand against the side of his face. He pushes into it and she ends up scratching him under the chin.

“Well, he definitely likes you,” Gladio says. He sounds like he’s uncertain if he should be happy there’s somebody who knows what they’re doing with a cat, or if he should be angry that Noctis could have warm feelings toward his sister.

“You have to know how to introduce yourself.” Iris looks up from her crouch. “I bet you just tried to grab him the first time, didn’t you?”

Gladio looks away with a cough. “Maybe.”

“Well, that’s why.” Iris sniffs. “You can’t do that to a cat, they have to decide they like you on their own. Prompto, I thought you were good with animals, why don’t you know that?”

“Well, I’m more familiar with dogs, really.” Prompto scratches the back of his head. “But he seems to like me okay now! So it’s fine.”

Noctis allows Iris one last scratch and then turns away with a flick of his tail, padding over to Ignis and winding between his legs. Ignis looks at him.

Iris squeaks a little in delight. “Sooo cute,” she says under her breath, and looks expectantly Prompto.

He’s obviously on the same wavelength, because he already has his camera out and is ready to take a picture. Ignis stands awkwardly still, looking down at Noctis, before a demanding _mrow!_ causes him to sigh and bend down. Noctis pushes his face ecstatically into Ignis’ scratching fingers.

“How come he likes you so much?” Gladio does _not_ sound jealous, he tells himself.

“I feed him,” Ignis says, deadpan. “Whereas you merely tormented—“

“That was one time!” Gladio says. In hindsight, it was probably a bad idea to grab Noctis’ tail in order to stop him from running off.

“Meow!” Noctis says, and jumps onto Ignis’ shoulder. His claws catch on Ignis’ jacket and his weight almost makes the man overbalance.

“Highness--!” Anything else is cut off as Ignis gets a face full of fur. He straightens with a hand hovering by his shoulder, waiting stiffly until Noctis is draped over the back of his neck. Everybody stares: they look like they could be the main characters in a historical romance, except for how Ignis’ glasses are all askew. There’s a loud click as Prompto takes a picture.

This is the exact moment that Noctis turns back into a human.

Ignis yelps as he falls, sprawled facedown with Noctis on top of him, landing on hands and knees with his ass in the air. He’s contorted in an attempt not to suffocate Ignis against the carpet.

“Oh my gods,” Prompto says. He’s still taking pictures. “This is the best. I mean, the worst. I don’t even know what I mean.”

“Noctis!” Iris says, hands covering her mouth. “Are you okay?”

“You should be asking Ignis that,” Gladio says, and strides over to haul the prince to his feet. He nudges Ignis’ thigh with the toe of his boot. “Iggy, you alive?”

“Ow,” Ignis says, muffled. He gropes around for his glasses, fails to find them, and sits up. Gladio winces when he sees his face; it looks like hit his lip on his way down, because there’s a point of blood welling up that he licks away.

“Sorry,” Noctis says, sounding like he usually does when he apologizes, which is not at all apologetic. He does spot Ignis’ glasses, hands them to him, and even gives him a hand up.

“Not to worry,” Ignis says, blinking as he puts his glasses back on. His hair is ruffled. “Really, our most pressing problem is solved. Welcome back, Noct.”

“Yeah,” Noctis says. “I’m going to go to bed.” He turns around.

“Oh,” he adds. “Iggy—thanks for the shirt. It was soft.”

Then he heads up the stairs, leaving everyone to stare after him.

Gladio sighs. Typical.

**Author's Note:**

> Surprise surprise, I didn't actually write any of the requested details of the prompt! There could have been so many more cat shenanigans... But still. Cat!Noctis has been written.
> 
> (If other people want to write more cat shenanigans, I'd be super excited to see it. Haha.)
> 
> plingokat @ twitter


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